GORHAM, Maine – Freshman
Lucy Wiles (Glenburn, Maine/Hampden Academy) had a game-high 21 points in her intercollegiate debut to lead the University of Southern Maine Huskies to an 84-42 win over the UMaine Presque Isle Owls in a non-conference women's basketball game Friday night at Hill Gymnasium.
The Huskies jumped out to a 27-9 lead in the first quarter and never looked back, leading wire-to-wire, in their season-opener. Graduate student
Liz Cote (Conway, N.H./Kennett) had 14 points, four rebounds, three steals and two assists, while freshman
Dakota Shipley (Bath, Maine/Brunswick) added 11 points and six rebounds off of the bench.
The Records:
UMaine Presque Isle (0-1)
Southern Maine (1-0)
Facing the Owls for the first time since the 2011-2012 season, today's meeting is the 21
st between the University of Southern Maine and the UMaine Presque Isle Owls. Southern Maine won the last contest 85-44, and leads the overall series 13-8.
How It Happened:
- The Huskies shot 44.4 percent from the field in the first quarter to grow its 27-9 lead.
- Cote scored nine of her 14 points in the game in the second quarter, going 3-for-3 from three-point range as the Huskies extended their lead to 42-22 at the halftime break.
- In the third quarter, Wiles canned a three, and scored seven of her game-high 21. Shipley ended the quarter for Southern Maine with back-to-back threes as USM led 62-34 headed into the fourth quarter.
- The Huskies continued to roll in the fourth, outscoring UMPI 22-8 in the frame. Eight different players scored for Southern Maine in the fourth led by five points from Wiles.
Inside The Stats:
- Southern Maine finished the game shooting 40.5 percent (30-for-37) from the field, and a solid 34.9 percent from three (15-for-43). Cote led USM with four threes, while Wiles (3), Shipley (3), senior Maddy York (Nobleboro, Maine/Lincoln Academy) (2), senior Jade Smedberg (Oxford, Maine/Oxford Hills), freshman Morgan Cunningham (Augusta, Maine/Cony), and junior Julia Kratzer (Gorham, Maine) each had one.
- USM held a distinct 57-29 advantage in rebounds led by eight from Smedberg, and six from Shipley, freshman Julissa McBarron (Sanford, Maine), and sophomore Lita Guslens (Iskile, Latvia/Riga State Gymnasium 3).
Up Next:
The Huskies are on the road for their next contest facing University of New England on Wednesday (5:30 pm), and then host Wheaton College (Mass.) on Saturday, November 16 (2:00 pm). The Huskies return to the road for a contest at UMaine Farmington on Wednesday, November 20 (5:00 pm) before hosting Thomas College on Saturday, November 23 (4:00 pm).
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